Vermont

Trump tariff chaos threatens Vermont maple syrup makers

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

Trump tariff chaos threatens Vermont maple syrup makers

Maple syrup producer Jim Judd looks a sample of maple syrup at Judd’s Wayeeses Farms in Morgan, Vt., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

MORGAN, Vt. — Making maple syrup in New England’s fickle spring weather can be an unpredictable business. Now President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies are adding anxiety about an industry that depends on multinational trade.

“Any kind of disruption with our cross border enterprise, we feel it,” said Jim Judd, a fourth-generation sugarer who owns Judd’s Wayeeses Farms in Morgan, Vermont. “It’s uncertain enough making maple syrup.”

Judd, who has been making Vermont’s signature product since the 1970s, says multiple countries contribute to each container of the sticky sweetener. Stainless steel fixtures used connect sap lines and boil the liquid into syrup can originate in China. Packaging often comes from Italy. And the vast majority of equipment is sold by Canada, which produces about four-fifths of the planet’s maple syrup — and sells nearly two-thirds of it to U.S. consumers.

That’s why this spring’s whiplash is so concerning to Judd and many other U.S. producers in Vermont as well as New York, Maine and Wisconsin.

Trump backed off the stiffest tariffs on most nations for 90 days earlier this month while increasing the taxes on Chinese imports to 145% and engaging in a lengthy back and forth with Canada and Mexico about tariffs on their countries’ goods.

Small jars of this season’s maple syrup show the variation in hue from day-to-day at Judd’s Wayeeses Farms in Morgan, Vt., on Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Allison Hope, executive director of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association, said they’re assuming that Trump’s latest position means there is no tariff on finished maple products for now — but the situation gets murkier when considering that necessary packaging, equipment and materials may originate in China.

“It’s like the weather in New England. You wait five minutes and it might change,” Hope said. “Now it matters how Canada makes its equipment and gets its materials. … It’s hard for businesses to run on a growth mentality when there’s no sense of what the industry is going to look like in a way, in a year.”

The uncertainty is arriving in a time of relative growth for syrup producers in the U.S. as well as Canada. Vermont has seen an increase in production of nearly 500% over the last 20 years as producers scaled up, new businesses formed and U.S. consumers sought local and natural alternatives to refined sugars, Hope said.

But disrupting trade with Canada, the maple syrup powerhouse, could be devastating. Judd, for one, said he has spent “countless amounts of hours and lots and lots of money” buying equipment in Canada over the decades. Import taxes could sharply increase his costs, and since syrup is, at essence, a luxury good, he thinks he can’t raise prices.

“We can’t do this without Canadian help. We can’t buy what we need at another outlet because it’s all in Canada,” Judd said. “We’ve been crossing this border all my life. The recent changes we see being imposed on the people here — we’re not sure that they’re all necessary.”

___

Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.

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Vermont

Vermont man charged in the murder of missing Bradford man – VTDigger

Published

7 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

Vermont man charged in the murder of missing Bradford man – VTDigger

A Vermont State Police cruiser seen in Burlington on Thursday, Jan. 23. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

A Bradford man in Vermont State Police custody is accused of killing Corey Crooker, who was first reported missing in January, according to state police.

James D. Nickles Jr., 42, is facing charges of second-degree murder, unauthorized burial or removal of a dead body and providing false information to police, according to state police spokesperson Adam Silverman. A judge found probable cause for the charges Friday, and the Vermont State Police obtained an arrest warrant for Nickles.

Crooker was last seen by family members on Jan. 9 and last heard from five days later.

Vermont State Police initially deemed Crooker’s disappearance “not suspicious” but later obtained evidence that the circumstances of the case were “criminal in nature.”

Nickles had been in federal custody on firearms charges arising from the investigation into Crooker’s disappearance when he was charged with his killing, according to state police.

According to reporting by NBC5, Nickles, while in custody, allegedly confessed to shooting Crooker on Jan. 14 during an argument over drugs.

Nickles later disposed of the body by burning it in a fire pit, NBC5 reported. Police found evidence at the scene but could not positively identify the remains at that time, the outlet reported.

The agency this week also arrested Lisa Akey of Bradford in connection with Crooker’s death. Akey has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice and providing false information to a police officer, according to state police.

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Vermont

‘We have to be realistic’: Scott pauses Vermont’s electric vehicle rules

Published

23 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

‘We have to be realistic’: Scott pauses Vermont’s electric vehicle rules

Gov. Phil Scott issued an executive order this week pausing penalties for manufacturers who fail to hit certain electric vehicle sales quotas set to kick in later this year.

Three years ago, Vermont agreed to require “an increasing percentage” of passenger cars, trucks and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state to be electric starting late this year, with the end goal being to stop selling gas-powered vehicles completely by 2035.

On Tuesday, however, Scott said in his executive order that the plan’s original timeline is no longer feasible due to lack of supportive infrastructure, lagging interest in electric vehicles and “federal disruptions” like tariffs, which are raising costs and “causing supply chain uncertainty.”

“I continue to believe we should be incentivizing Vermonters to transition to cleaner energy options like electric vehicles,” said Scott in a press release announcing his executive order. “However, we have to be realistic about a pace that’s achievable. It’s clear we don’t have anywhere near enough charging infrastructure and insufficient technological advances in heavy-duty vehicles to meet current goals.”

Vermont may have the most electric vehicle chargers per capita in the nation, but even the fastest charging stations in the state take hours to fully charge a vehicle, Scott said during a press conference on Wednesday. He added that the oldest charging stations take 12-16 hours, requiring people to prepare well in advance if they want to travel.

“You can’t rely on that if you’re going to be traveling in Vermont, especially on a cold winter day,” Scott said. “Your range might be 200 miles. If you’ve got to go to Brattleboro and back, you’re challenged.”

Scott has experienced the inconvenience of charging EVs

As an example, Scott recounted his experiences with the electric Ford F-150 his administration purchased back in August 2022, admitting that he’s had to delay travel plans or make other travel arrangements in the past because of how inconvenient charging the vehicle can be.

“We have much more work to do in order to make it more convenient, faster, and more affordable to buy, maintain and charge EV’s,” Scott said in his press release. “When we do, it’s more likely every day Vermonters will make the switch.”

Where consumer interest in electric vehicles stands now, manufacturers and local dealers are struggling to meet Vermont’s zero emission vehicle sales goals, Scott said during his Wednesday press conference. To hit sales targets, some manufacturers are “forcing” dealers to receive and sell a certain number of electric vehicles before they supply dealers with more gas-powered cars and trucks, which are still in much higher demand, Scott said.

“And dealers aren’t able to sell them,” Scott said, hurting them financially.

To avoid penalties for failing to meet electric vehicle sales totals, manufacturers can no longer impose the aforementioned zero emission vehicle “ratios” on dealerships, must deliver vehicles in a “timely manner” and must provide reports demonstrating they are continuing to “promote and market” electric vehicles, such as building more charging infrastructure and including electric vehicles in “ride and drive” events.

“The enforcement discretion is only available to them if they are continuing to provide the services Vermonters are requesting,” said Secretary Julie Moore of the Agency of Natural Resources during Scott’s press conference.

The executive order was effective immediately and will continue until Dec. 31, 2026 or until Scott, upon consulting with Moore, amends or rescinds the order.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

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Vermont

Bob’s Discount Furniture to open 20 new stores this year, including one in VT. Here’s where

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2025

Press Room

Bob’s Discount Furniture to open 20 new stores this year, including one in VT. Here’s where

Want to save money on new furniture? Try these 3 super strategies

Buying new furniture can cost upwards of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
So how can the frugal-minded save money, without trawling thrift shops and Craigslist?

Bob’s Discount Furniture is set to open their first location in Vermont this year.

The opening is one of 20 stores Bob’s plans to open in 2025 as part of an ongoing growth strategy, with six stores opening across the country so far this year. Now, the New England-based furniture chain has its sights set on Williston, with plans for the location to open in the summer or fall.

“Bob’s has built a loyal customer base throughout New England, and opening a store in Vermont allows us to strengthen our connection with a region that has supported our brand for years,” said Ramesh Murthy, Chief Operating Officer at Bob’s Discount Furniture, in a press release. “We’re excited to bring our on-trend assortment of furniture, mattresses, and home accents at everyday low prices to new customers and markets.”